Editors Note: This is NOT a paid political advertisement or endorsed by anyone other than the writer / author of this blog. On Monday, August 19th, Democratic Presidential candidate Julián Castro unveiled a platform focused on advancing the welfare of animals around the globe, both domestic and wildlife. It would raise standards for factory farms […]

They said it couldn’t happen. They said wild salmon would never breach penned-up fish farms. They were wrong. And that’s a big problem. On June 11, 2019, members from the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ / Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, including Tribal Parks Guardians and members of the Clayoquot Sound Indigenous Salmon Alliance, boarded and inspected open net pen […] […]

President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency has escalated tensions all across the southern border. The large majority of residents who live near the Mexican border don’t want the Wall built. Their reasons include fear of the government’s use of eminent domain, the high probability of flooding from a built wall, concern of escalating tensions […] […]

Just when you thought your food choices were clear and safe. UK firm The John Innes Centre has applied for permission to plant experimental genetically modified wheat and broccoli in open fields at their farm outside Norwich, in the United Kingdom. The research company hopes to begin two small-scale field trials in April. In 2017, […]

When you consider our nation’s health, the quality of our food, its decreasing nutritional value and the increased degradation of our farmland, it’s not a pretty picture — and the challenges related to these issues keep growing. By 2050 the world’s population will likely reach close to 9 billion people. To feed everyone, we’ll need […]

Last week’s news about Amazon purchasing Whole Foods has left consumers in a tizzy. On the one hand, it will make high quality food even more accessible. On the other hand, as is always the case, it presents new problems to be addressed.

One of these issues centers around the proliferation of shipping boxes. Americans love affair with online ordering has dramatically increased the amount of cardboard boxes making their way to our landfills.

And it’s not only boxes. Plastic packaging has greatly increased as well. This video from the California Product Stewardship Council was featured on a recent NBC Nightly News broadcast.It features CPSC’s Heidi Sanborn and Robert Reed of San Francisco’s Recology discussing how our growing addiction to online shopping impacts our landfills.

Consumers have always had a say in what manufacturers provide. We vote with our dollars.When we speak up, they listen. It’s up to us to tell manufacturers that we want less wasteful packaging with our online orders.

Interestingly enough, that type of packaging has been around for more than five years in a variety of forms. So why aren’t more companies using it?

It comes down to two things. It’s cheaper for them to use what they already have in hand. AND they aren’t convinced (yet) that we really want something better for the environment.

So tell your favorite online store that you want more eco-friendly packaging. Insist that they do a better, more responsible job with their packaging. After all, they know if we don’t like what they do, we’ll take our money and shop elsewhere. Money – and people – speak to their profits.